Meanwhile, since the UC itself is too busy running scared as the Yam of Grievance and his cabal seek to destroy higher education, looks like all of us involved in the actual educational mandate of the schools will have to fight this bullshit ourselves.
Especially galling when so many of us have so few protections, employment or physical, in the first place. We are exposed while UCOP and the Regents dither and appease.
I'll admit, I'm a bit nervous going back to teaching in a couple weeks while the right is this riled up and screaming bloody murder against universities as if we had a god damned thing to do with the escalating political violence. Campuses are not safe. And now the Vice President of the United States is personally advocating for a doxxing campaign against us.
And my doctor wonders why my blood pressure has gone up since last exam.
Look.
The fuck.
Around.
2025-09-16 00:33:20
What I believe the algorithm is doing - and by that, I mean what the media oligarchs are doing - is destroying real world communities (churches excepted) and then pushing hard to take over the para-social communities that exist on the Internet to replace those communities with hollowed out versions that are mostly propaganda. Kirk was very good at creating those para-social communities and attracting broken, lonely, powerless people to them, then giving them scapegoats to target with their outrage.
Approval. Sense of belonging. In-group prestige through symbolic action. Very heady brew for young minds.
Vance is aiming hard for that space at the moment. I don't think he can hold it. I hope he can't.
We're going to get violence either way, but I'd rather it no have any direction or momentum. Better static than current.
Meanwhile, since the UC itself is too busy running scared as the Yam of Grievance and his cabal seek to destroy higher education, looks like all of us involved in the actual educational mandate of the schools will have to fight this bullshit ourselves.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-09-16/university-of-california-faculty-sue-trump-over-ucla-fine-research-cuts
Especially galling when so many of us have so few protections, employment or physical, in the first place. We are exposed while UCOP and the Regents dither and appease.
I'll admit, I'm a bit nervous going back to teaching in a couple weeks while the right is this riled up and screaming bloody murder against universities as if we had a god damned thing to do with the escalating political violence. Campuses are not safe. And now the Vice President of the United States is personally advocating for a doxxing campaign against us.
And my doctor wonders why my blood pressure has gone up since last exam.
Look.
The fuck.
Around.
What I believe the algorithm is doing - and by that, I mean what the media oligarchs are doing - is destroying real world communities (churches excepted) and then pushing hard to take over the para-social communities that exist on the Internet to replace those communities with hollowed out versions that are mostly propaganda. Kirk was very good at creating those para-social communities and attracting broken, lonely, powerless people to them, then giving them scapegoats to target with their outrage.
Approval. Sense of belonging. In-group prestige through symbolic action. Very heady brew for young minds.
Vance is aiming hard for that space at the moment. I don't think he can hold it. I hope he can't.
We're going to get violence either way, but I'd rather it no have any direction or momentum. Better static than current.